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Once upon a time, the phrases "Circle of Life" and "Hakuna Matata" were not a part of the American lexicon. That was before Disney's The Lion King exploded onto movie screens during the summer of 1994. The tale of the young lion Simba — voiced in the movie by Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Matthew Broderick — who grows up to overthrow the reign of his evil uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons) became a global phenomenon, augmented by the songs of Elton John and Tim Rice. Even if you know that the film was nominated for four Academy Awards, here are some fun facts about the movie that you might not know.
1. The movie was the first Disney feature-length animated film to be created from an original script idea. All of the company's other animated movies had been based either on books or long established fairy tales.
2. The original script was titled King of the Jungle and centered on a battle between lions and baboons. In that version, Scar was the leader of the baboons. At some point during development, the animation team realized that lions don't actually live in the jungle.
3. At one point in the production, animators considered having the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" sung entirely by Pumbaa and Timon, much to the horror of John and Rice. A version of the song using Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella, the voices of the warthog and meerkat, was recorded but not used. Similarly, the song was almost cut from the movie entirely until John lobbied to have it kept in.
4. Many of Disney's top animators at the time didn't work on The Lion King because they were working on the animated film being produced concurrently, Pocahontas. Most people at Disney thought that the historically-based film would be the more prestigious of the two.
5. It was the second Disney animated film, after Beauty and the Beast, to win the Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy.
6. When Irons' Scar delivers the line, "You have no idea," it is a direct nod to one of the actor's most famous roles as Claus von Bulow in Reversal of Fortune. In that film, Irons' character delivers the line in answer to his lawyer calling him a "very strange man." In The Lion King, he says it after Simba accuses him of being "so weird."
7. Timon's famous line, "What do you want me to do, dress in drag and dance the hula?" was improvised by Lane.
8. When Irons strained his voice while recording "Be Prepared," actor Jim Cummings, who voices the hyena Ed, stepped in and imitated Irons to get the song finished.
9. Originally, the intention was to pair Cheech Marin with his longtime comedy partner Tommy Chong to voice the hyenas Shenzi and Bonzai. They could never get in touch with Chong to reach an agreement, so Whoopi Goldberg was tapped instead.
10. James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair, who voice Simba's parents, also play a royal husband and wife in Coming to America, where they reign as the king and queen of a small African country and parents to Eddie Murphy.
11. Scar makes an appearance in a later Disney animated movie. He's seen as a rug during a sequence in Hercules.
12. There was a controversy over the formation of dust during a scene when Simba flops on the ground. Activist Donald Wildmon, founder of the American Family Association, asserted that the dust gathered to form the word "SEX" if you looked at a freeze frame of the scene and was an intentional subliminal message aimed at promoting sexual promiscuity. The producers said that really it was meant to be "SFX," as a reference to the special effects team that was working on the movie. In the films rerelease, some additional dust was added to the scene to blur any letters.
13. There was additional controversy over similarities between the film and a Japanese animated TV series entitled "Kimba the White Lion" that was produced in the 1960s. Disney has maintained that any similarities are coincidental, but Broderick has admitted that he thought that they were adapting "Kimba" when he first saw the script.
14. Three of the songs from the film — "Hakuna Matata," "The Circle of Life," and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" — were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" ultimately won the Oscar, and John's version of the song went to No. 4 on the singles chart in the U.S.
15. Rice, who had provided the lyrics for Disney's Aladdin and started his career as the partner of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, Evita), was made a knight by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994. John was knighted in 1998. The duo reteamed for the Broadway musical Aida in 2000.
16. Before playing Timon and Pumbaa, Lane and Sabella had previously worked together in the Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls. After The Lion King, they were paired again on Broadway in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. At first, Lane and Sabella were cast to be two of the hyenas, but their chemistry was so good that they were switched to voicing Simba's pals.
17. Lane and Broderick went on to star as Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom in the Broadway musical version of Mel Brooks' The Producers, and reprised the same roles in the film version. Reportedly, the duo saw each other only once during their voice work for The Lion King… passing each other in a hallway.
18. The stage version of The Lion King, which has been running since 1997, is the highest-grossing Broadway show in history.
19. The Lion King was the second highest grossing movie of 1994, behind Forrest Gump, in the United States, but it easily outdistanced Tom Hanks' movie worldwide and grossed over $768 million during its initial theatrical release.
20. The Lion King remains the highest grossing hand-drawn (or hand-drawn/computer animation combination) film of all time. It's the second highest grossing film in the history of Walt Disney Animation Studios behind only Frozen.
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Who would have thought, back when Elton John was writing the music for Disney's The Lion King, that 20 years later he'd be giving the House of Mouse a run for its money?
John's Rocket Films recently announced plans to make an animated version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The musician's company already scored an international hit in 2011 with Gnomeo &amp; Juliet, and has a sequel to it in the works called Sherlock Gnomes. In addition, the company has another project by the Gnomeo director Kelly Asbury called Will Gallows and the Snake Bellied Troll in the pipeline and is developing an animated version of the Michael Buckley N.E.R.D.S. books.
Back in the '70s and '80s, it would've seemed unfathomable that the singer would become one of the leading animation producers in the world… despite his occasional on-stage antics in a Donald Duck suit. That was before The Lion King.
John, who worked with Rice on the film, provided a different sound for the Disney effort, mixing in world beats with pop sensibility and cheeky humor to arrive at something fresh and exciting. The film won John an Academy Award for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and grossed nearly a billion dollars in international box office (and added another billion as a Broadway show).
The funny part of John's subsequent success is that he originally tried to continue working with Disney. Gnomeo &amp; Juliet started out as a Disney production, with John even appearing at industry functions in support of it. When the company's animation division merged with Pixar, however, the project was abandoned. Disney did eventually have a hand in the distribution of the film after it was completed, releasing it on the company's nearly defunct Touchstone Pictures imprint… a decision that John made no bones about being upset with.
Now John gets to bring Joseph, one of the most enduring stage shows in history, to the big screen with the full blessing and cooperation of Webber and Rice. Another success along the lines of Gnomeo and Disney might soon regret not working harder to continue its relationship with a man who helped launch one of the company's biggest hits… if it doesn't already.
Betting against the Rocket Man to deliver animated fare that audiences want to see would seem to be a billion dollar mistake.

Lions Gate via Everett Collection
When we last left our heroes, they had conquered all opponents in the 74th Annual Hunger Games, returned home to their newly refurbished living quarters in District 12, and fallen haplessly to the cannibalism of PTSD. And now we're back! Hitching our wagons once again to laconic Katniss Everdeen and her sweet-natured, just-for-the-camera boyfriend Peeta Mellark as they gear up for a second go at the Capitol's killing fields.
But hold your horses — there's a good hour and a half before we step back into the arena. However, the time spent with Katniss and Peeta before the announcement that they'll be competing again for the ceremonial Quarter Quell does not drag. In fact, it's got some of the film franchise's most interesting commentary about celebrity, reality television, and the media so far, well outweighing the merit of The Hunger Games' satire on the subject matter by having Katniss struggle with her responsibilities as Panem's idol. Does she abide by the command of status quo, delighting in the public's applause for her and keeping them complacently saturated with her smiles and curtsies? Or does Katniss hold three fingers high in opposition to the machine into which she has been thrown? It's a quarrel that the real Jennifer Lawrence would handle with a castigation of the media and a joke about sandwiches, or something... but her stakes are, admittedly, much lower. Harvey Weinstein isn't threatening to kill her secret boyfriend.
Through this chapter, Katniss also grapples with a more personal warfare: her devotion to Gale (despite her inability to commit to the idea of love) and her family, her complicated, moralistic affection for Peeta, her remorse over losing Rue, and her agonizing desire to flee the eye of the public and the Capitol. Oftentimes, Katniss' depression and guilty conscience transcends the bounds of sappy. Her soap opera scenes with a soot-covered Gale really push the limits, saved if only by the undeniable grace and charisma of star Lawrence at every step along the way of this film. So it's sappy, but never too sappy.
In fact, Catching Fire is a masterpiece of pushing limits as far as they'll extend before the point of diminishing returns. Director Francis Lawrence maintains an ambiance that lends to emotional investment but never imposes too much realism as to drip into territories of grit. All of Catching Fire lives in a dreamlike state, a stark contrast to Hunger Games' guttural, grimacing quality that robbed it of the life force Suzanne Collins pumped into her first novel.
Once we get to the thunderdome, our engines are effectively revved for the "fun part." Katniss, Peeta, and their array of allies and enemies traverse a nightmare course that seems perfectly suited for a videogame spin-off. At this point, we've spent just enough time with the secondary characters to grow a bit fond of them — deliberately obnoxious Finnick, jarringly provocative Johanna, offbeat geeks Beedee and Wiress — but not quite enough to dissolve the mystery surrounding any of them or their true intentions (which become more and more enigmatic as the film progresses). We only need adhere to Katniss and Peeta once tossed in the pit of doom that is the 75th Hunger Games arena, but finding real characters in the other tributes makes for a far more fun round of extreme manhunt.
But Catching Fire doesn't vie for anything particularly grand. It entertains and engages, having fun with and anchoring weight to its characters and circumstances, but stays within the expected confines of what a Hunger Games movie can be. It's a good one, but without shooting for succinctly interesting or surprising work with Katniss and her relationships or taking a stab at anything but the obvious in terms of sending up the militant tyrannical autocracy, it never even closes in on the possibility of being a great one.
3.5/5
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Craving a fun, crazy, wild, sexual ride? That's exactly what Justin Timberlake delivered as he hosted Saturday Night Live for the fifth time Saturday. Facing high expectations going into the evening, Timberlake more than lived up to the hype during his duties. Not only did the multi-hyphenate revive old characters, like his "D**k in a Box" lady-killer and OmeletteVille shiller, Timberlake also headlined some entertaining new sketches. He posed as temporarily chaste Emperor Caligula, starred in a fictional romantic comedy trailer, made an appearance in a Moet &amp; Chandon commercial, and performed two of his hit new songs.
But, there was more. SNL also inducted Timberlake into the "Five-Timers Club" and upon entering, he greeted by some more than A-List celebrity names like Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, and more. Oh yeah, and Jay-Z even made an appearance during one of Timberlake's performances. If SNL was trying to make us forget the series' past subpar three months, it certainly succeeded.
Read below to see what happened during Saturday night's star-studded episode.
RELATED: Justin Timberlake Returns to SNL
Hugo Chavez Memorial Performance
Becoming one of the rare hosts to appear in SNL's cold open, Timberlake posed as Elton John, sitting down at the piano to play and sing a tribute to deceased Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez. Poking fun at both John’s Princess Diana’s tribute, "Candle in the Wind," and the late leader, Timberlake sang about Chavez’s pistol-wielding press conferences and bizarre view that Capitalism killed Mars.
Justin Joins the Five-Timers Club
A dapper Timberlake began the star-studded festivities during his monologue, which officially inducted the five-time host into SNL's famous "Five-Timers Club." An update of Tom Hanks' famous 1990 monologue, Timberlake's opening brought back five-time hosts Paul Simon, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Alec Baldwin, Candice Bergen, and Hanks himself. (Members Drew Barrymore and John Goodman weren’t on-hand, but their portraits hung on the wall.)
As if those big names wasn't enough, original cast member Dan Aykroyd was there to serve Timberlake a special Gilly-inspired drink called the “Kristen Wiig” (god bless her SNL departed soul), and Martin Short, the third amigo, served hors d’oeuvres covered in the germs from his sneezes. If you were hoping for a Three Amigos reunion, you were rewarded later in the episode when Short, Martin, and Chase (in his first post-Community TV appearance) dressed as Ned Nederlander, Lucky Day, and Dusty Bottoms later in the show to introduce Timberlake's second performance.
It’s A Date
"D**k in a Box" twosome Timberlake and Andy Samberg made their return as a double dating pair posing as contestants in a Dating Game-esque program. But they had some lofty and legendary competition — they were stacked up against Bobby Moynihan as a sweet contestant looking for love and Aykroyd and Martin's Festrunk Brothers, the two wild and crazy guys made famous during SNL's 1970s glory days.
Turns out Timberlake and Samberg's duo and the Festrunk Brothers were the real match mad in heaven during the hilarious sketch — not only was it a treat for hardcore SNL fans to see Aykroyd and Martin revive their 30-year-old characters, but the "D**k in a Box" two some invited uproarious laughter with their dream dates, which included “[railing] on your butt," and their insistence that women can't get pregnant in the summertime. (Bonus points for the DuckTales shout-out.)
RELATED: Justin Timberlake's Awesome SNL Promo
VeganVille Vs. Sausage Depot
OmletteVille reinvented! Timberlake tried to create a “meat-free zone” by musically intimidating Moynihan's Sausage Depot mascot to give up his post, much like he did in the singer's now-famous 2003 OmletteVille sketch. In this bit, Timbelake whipped up some of Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” with “brown rice baby” as the kicker, and even sang tofu-inspired versions of hits from Rihanna and more. Timberlake ended the sketch with Baauer’s “Harlem Shake.” WHY, TIMBERLAKE WHY? I love you, but don't you know we've been trying to shake off the shake?
Birth Control NuvaBling Commercial
This sketch advertises a scary imaginary product: a bedazzled NuvaRing. For those who think vajazzling just isn't enough, the birth control product shines from within you... and hurts. Honestly, I could have done without this piece — I certainly didn't need nightmares about “shining up that 'gine" to accompany me to bed.
Timberlake Performs "Suit &amp; Tie"
If Veganville didn’t give you enough of Timberlake’s infamous dancing skills, he certainly delivered performing his new single, “Suit &amp; Tie.” There’s no denying that this man has his groove back after his musical hiatus, which gives us extra reason to continue to be endlessly jealous of the singer's new wife, Jessica Biel.
As if his dance skills weren’t enough, Jay-Z also joined Timberlake on stage to finish up the performance. And when it was over, I was left craving for Timberlake to “show [me] a few [more] things.”
Weekend Update
Seth Meyers started off the “Weekend Update” with another Chavez funeral joke and a rib about the North Korea-bound Dennis Rodman crashing the papal conclave. Meyers also joked about Playboy's Hebrew version of the magazine (look at the women's breasts from right to left) and Saturday's switch to Daylight Savings Time: “The clock on your oven will be wrong for six months.” Actually, the clock on my wall will finally be right again for the next six months.
And proving that SNL continued to pull out all the stops, Stefon (Bill Hader) appeared on Weekend Update to share his patented party advice, and, as an added bonus, offered an impression of Donald Duck having a Vietnam nightmare. (We couldn't have dreamed up anything better.) But the bit left us wondering one thing: Why didn't anyone tell us Jamba Juice was bad for you?
RELATED: SNL Recap: The Time We Fell In Like with Kevin Hart
The Tales of Sober Caligula
Emperor Caligula (played by Timberlake) decided to clean up and stop abusing alcohol and partaking in orgies. What caused the infamous Roman Emperor to give up his dirty ways? He “woke up with [his] penis in the mouth of a dead lion” one day. (You don't want to know where the lion's penis was.) So, instead of the usual orgies, Caligula ruled that his court would participate in game night instead. Screw sober Caligula — doesn’t a Timberlake sexcapade sound much more thrilling? At least the pig got lucky.
Maine Justice or Southern Lies?
Timberlake's hair as a Maine-based baliff was the first sign of bad things to come in this mock court TV show. Indistinguishable dialogue, a blowup alligator, and a confusing premise (a town in Maine thinks its New Orleans?) couldn’t save the sketch, despite Timberlake's valiant efforts.
Timberlake Performs “Mirrors”
The Three Amigos — Short, Martin, and Chase — dressed up as a mariachi band as a nod to their 1986 movie and introduced Timberlake for his second performance. There is nothing else that can be said about this other than it was flawless.
She’s Got A D!%k
Airing near the end of the night, Timberlake’s mock movie trailer centered on “an adorable brunette,” who Timberlake finds out actually has a d**k. But despite his confused black friend’s advice, the heart wants what it wants, and the romantic comedy had the potential to be even better than Friends With Benefits.
Moet &amp; Chandon
Ricky V.I.Penis (Timberlake’s final character of the night) closed the show with an advertisement for Moet and Chandon starring porn stars. Imagining Timberlake as a porn star needing more room in his pants? Now, that's a real reason to celebrate!
Follow Lindsey on Twitter @LDiMat.
[Photo Credit: NBC]
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Anne Hathaway may not be known as one of the most publicly political celebrities in Hollywood, but, when it comes to Saturday Night Live, the actress and politics go together about as well as Catwoman and black latex. Take Hathaway's first appearance on SNL — the actress oversaw an October 2008 episode that brought us the now-classic parody of Sarah Palin and Joe Biden's vice presidential debate. ("I believe marriage is meant to be a sacred institution between two unwilling teenagers.") And now, just over four years later, Hathaway has come full circle, hosting the sketch comedy show for the third time just days after President Obama was re-elected for a second term, inviting a stellar, if a bit bittersweet, Romney sign-off. But Saturday's show managed to shine the more it strayed away from politics. And the more it featured its host. Because Hathaway continued to prove to SNL audiences that Catwoman bares some sharp comedic claws.
And, sure enough, the beginning of SNL started with a farewell — what was likely the final sketch to feature Jason Sudeikis as the conceding presidential candidate, Mitt Romney. The sketch — which featured a disappointed, milk-swigging Romney who still showed Mormon-approved optimism — was well-written, if a bit oddly staged. (The silence-filled gaps between Taran Killam's amusing Tagg/Matt/Josh Romney pop-ups felt longer than the wait to hear Obama's Tuesday night victory speech.) Still, the scene was a nice departure from the ripped-from-the-TV-screen political sketches of yore, and bonus points for the series' take down of election night's real loser, when Josh Romney tells his father to come to the living room: "Donald Trump is doing a very amusing thing where he's racist."
Sudeikis again seemed to acknowledge his final months with SNL — the actor is leaving the show in January — during Hathaway's monologue, during which he talked about his "wild ride" on the show and what he's learned "after you've been here for eight seasons." But the Les Misérables star's voice eventually took center stage during the fifth musical monologue of the season. (For the record, there have only been seven new episodes — WWJRS? That is, What Will Jeremy Renner Sing?) Of course, this one made more sense than the rest — Hathaway's voice alone would be enough to invite awe, but the Les Mis-inspired tune (about the thrills of Sunday for the SNL cast) was more than chuckle-worthy, reminiscent of Steve Martin's memorable "Not Gonna Phone It In" monologue in 1991. (And Hathaway's Stefon impression? It. Had. Everything.) With the new cast, are the SNL glory days of the '90s back?
The series is certainly allowing its newbies to flex their comedy muscles more than previous featured players. New cast members Cecily Strong and Aidy Bryant headlined the first post-monologue sketch of the night as, respectively, a teen and her best friend-turned-third wheel. It was an amusing sketch that showcased Bryant's droll talents — and certainly hit home for any girl who ever attended high school — even if the spot seemed more appropriate for the back third of the show. (But, speaking of the '90s, did the sketch — and Hathaway's valley girl impression of the new bad girl in school — remind anyone of SNL's "Delta Delta Delta" days?)
But the next sketch, the pre-taped "Legend of Mokiki," was far from SNL convention. Featuring episode MVP Killam as a human experiment who becomes famous for doing a dance called "the sloppy swish" — and Hathaway as the poor soul who falls in love with him — the sketch was as random as it was obvious that it came out of a late-night, exhausted writing session. But even when shorts like these make little sense, it's impossible not to enjoy the glimpse we get into the deranged inter-workings of the writers' minds.
More audience-friendly was the following sketch, which proved Hathaway has another celebrity impression under her belt: Homeland's Emmy-winning Claire Danes. The actress' take on Carrie Matheson, complete with the character's patented ugly cry, was flawless — even simple phrases like "And do what?" were indistinguishable from her Showtime counterpart. But Hathaway wasn't the only one to score in the sketch — Bill Hader's Saul was as impeccable as the actor's Alan Alda, and Killam, once again, stole the scene with his Agent Brody, whose "mouth is so small, it's hard to hear the words."
Far less tasty was the lazy McDonald's sketch, featuring Strong and Bobby Moynihan as two delinquent employees dead-set on insulting all of their colleagues, and Hathaway's uptight boss. But Moynihan more than made up for the groan-worthy sketch with his Drunk Uncle, yet again the highlight of Weekend Update. ("If Nationwide is on my side, how come Obama is president? Jews-papers!") Unfortunately, the rest of Weekend Update wasn't nearly as funny — in fact, the writing proved to be just as progressive as Moynihan's uncle, who lamented in his day "You couldn't vote unless you had a cane, monocle, top hat, fancy!" Seth Meyers using the record number of women elected to office as an opportunity to make a joke about pantsuits? Really, Seth? Really?! And a joke about all women hating sports to boot? I say it again: Really?! Thank god for Moynihan and Hader, and Fred Armisen, who made up for the lackluster segment — which included a predictable Obama impression from Jay Pharaoh — with their gay couple from Maine, who are celebrating their newly established ability to wed by registering with L.L.Bean.
But SNL was quickly back in business with the brilliant Kate McKinnon as a cheerfully exhausted Ellen DeGeneres. The sketch was more or less an opportunity for the episode to showcase Hathaway's hysterical Katie Holmes impression, but McKinnon also inspired laughs as the controversy-adverse daytime host. ("It was a big week in politics, so I'm going to talk about eating some popcorn yesterday.") And Hathaway proved her physical comedy prowess with a unique sketch about the conception of Grant Wood's American Gothic painting, which, in SNL's world, really portrayed two goofy models who loved corn puppets.
SNL closed out the show with a "Happy Fun Ball"-esque sketch for "Flaritin," a medication for those who suffer "a made-up allergy" to gluten, cigarette smoke, yogurt, rice, meat deodorant, squirrel dander, Los Angeles, small penises, rap, and Italians for attention. But, strangely enough, any portion of the show that didn't include Hathaway — including musical guest Rihanna's bizarre performance of "Diamonds," which looked to be set in front of a karaoke music video — suffered without the host. She even managed to invite a laugh in her goodbye, telling the audience, "Thank you so much to Katie Holmes and Claire Danes." Would it be too much to call our Catwoman the cat's pajamas? (Yes. Yes it would.)
What did you think of Saturday's show? Did Hathaway's taste of Les Mis in the monologue enough to keep you wanting more?
[Image Credit: NBC]
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Joss Whedon's forthcoming ABC pilot everyone hopes becomes a series, is starting to shape assemble itself a cast! Deadline is reporting that Whedon has recruited ER alum Ming-Na Wen as a lead for Marvel's drama TV pilot, S.H.I.E.L.D.
Whedon is co-writing and directing the project, based on the peacekeeping group featured in this year's The Avengers, as well as the comic books. Wen is slated to play Agent Melinda May, a soulful-if-slightly-damaged pilot, weapons expert, and soldier. Her combat experience—though damaging—have made her the best in the business. The pilot’s original casting breakdown had the character named Agent Althea Rice, aka The Calvary. Wen will be joining Clark Gregg, reprising his part of Agent Phil Coulson from Iron Man, Thor, and The Avengers.
Whedon is co-writing the pilot with his brother Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen. Ming-Na Wen also performed on Syfy’s Eureka and Stargate Universe.
What do you think about the casting choice? Are you excited for S.H.I.E.L.D.? Let us know in the comments!
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At the moment there are few greater clichés in the media than the freaking out single woman on the cusp of 30. Of course clichés are clichés for a reason worth exploring even through the lens of just one or two women as in Lola Versus. Unfortunately while the intention behind Lola Versus isn't that we should all be happily married by the age of 30 it still fits into the same rubric of all those "Why You're Not Married" books.
Lola (Greta Gerwig) has a gorgeous fiancé Luke (Joel Kinnaman) and they live in a giant loft together the kind of dreamy NYC real estate that seems to exist primarily in the movies. Just as they're planning their gluten-free wedding cake with a non-GMO rice milk-based frosting Luke dumps her. It's cruelly sudden — although Luke isn't a cruel man. Lola finds little comfort in the acerbic wit of her best friend the eternally single Alice (Zoe Lister-Jones) who is probably delighted to see her perfectly blonde best friend taken down a peg and into the murky world of New York coupling. Lola and Luke share a best friend Henry (Hamish Linklater) a messy-haired rumpled sweetheart who is kind and safe and the inevitable shelter for Lola's fallout. Her parents well-meaning and well-to-do hippie types feed her kombucha and try to figure out their iPads and give her irrelevant advice.
Lola Versus is slippery. Its tone careens between broad TV comedy and earnest dramedy almost as if Alice is in charge of the dirty zingers and Lola's job is to make supposedly introspective statements. Alice's vulgar non-sequiturs are tossed off without much relish and Lola's dialogue comes off too often as expository and plaintive. We don't need Lola to tell Henry "I'm vulnerable I'm not myself I'm easily persuaded" or "I'm slutty but I'm a good person!" (Which is by the way an asinine statement to make. One might even say she's not even that "slutty " she's just making dumb decisions that hurt those around her just as much as she's hurting herself.)
We know that she's a mess — that's the point of the story! It's not so much that a particularly acerbic woman wouldn't say to her best friend "Find your spirit animal and ride it until its d**k falls off " but that she wouldn't say it in the context of this movie. It's from some other movie over there one where everyone is as snarky and bitter as Alice. You can't have your black-hearted comedy and your introspective yoga classes. Is it really a stride forward for feminism that the clueless single woman has taken the place of the stoner man-child in media today? When Lola tells Luke "I'm taken by myself. I've gotta just do me for a while " it's true. But it doesn't sound true and it doesn't feel true.
In one scene Lola stumbles on the sidewalk and falls to the ground. No one asks her if she's okay or needs help; she simply gets up on her own and goes on her way. It's a moment that has happened to so many people. It's humiliating and so very public but of course you just gotta pick yourself up and get where you're going. In this movie it's a head-smackingly obvious metaphor. In one of the biggest missteps of the movie Jay Pharoah plays a bartender that makes the occasional joke while Lola is waiting tables at her mom's restaurant. His big line at the end is "And I'm your friend who's black!" It would have been better to leave his entire character on the cutting room floor than attempt such a half-hearted wink at the audience.
Lister-Jones and director Daryl Wein co-wrote the screenplay for Lola Versus as they did with 2009's Breaking Upwards. Both films deal with the ins and outs of their own romantic relationship in one way or another. Breaking Upwards a micro-budget indie about a rough patch in their relationship was much more successful in tone and direction. Lola Versus has its seeds in Lister-Jones' experience as a single woman in New York and is a little bit farther removed from their experiences. Lola Versus feels like a wasted opportunity. Relatively speaking there are so few movies getting made with a female writer or co-writer that it almost feels like a betrayal to see such a tone-deaf portrayal of women onscreen. What makes it even more disappointing is how smart and likable everyone involved is and knowing that they could have made a better movie.

A kids’ movie without the cheeky jokes for adults is like a big juicy BLT without the B… or the T. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted may have a title that sounds like it was made up in a cartoon sequel laboratory but when it comes to serving up laughs just think of the film as a BLT with enough extra bacon to satisfy even the wildest of animals — or even a parent with a gaggle of tots in tow. Yes even with that whole "Afro Circus" nonsense.
It’s not often that we find exhaustively franchised films like the Madagascar set that still work after almost seven years. Despite being spun off into TV shows and Christmas specials in addition to its big screen adventures the series has not only maintained its momentum it has maintained the part we were pleasantly surprised by the first time around: great jokes.
In this third installment of the series – the trilogy-maker if you will – directing duo Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath add Conrad Vernon (director Monsters Vs. Aliens) to the helm as our trusty gang swings back into action. Alex the lion (Ben Stiller) Marty the zebra (Chris Rock) Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) are stuck in Africa after the hullaballoo of Madagascar 2 and they’ll do anything to get back to their beloved New York. Just a hop skip and a jump away in Monte Carlo the penguins are doing their usual greedy schtick but the zoo animals catch up with them just in time to catch the eye of the sinister animal control stickler Captain Dubois (Frances McDormand). And just like that the practically super human captain is chasing them through Monte Carlo and the rest of Europe in hopes of planting Alex’s perfectly coifed lion head on her wall of prized animals.
Luckily for pint-sized viewers Dubois’ terrifying presence is balanced out by her sheer inhuman strength uncanny guiles and Stretch Armstrong flexibility (ah the wonder of cartoons) as well as Alex’s escape plan: the New Yorkers run away with the European circus. While Dubois’ terrifying Doberman-like presence looms over the entire film a sense of levity (which is a word the kiddies might learn from Stiller’s eloquent lion) comes from the plan for salvation in which the circus animals and the zoo animals band together to revamp the circus and catch the eye of a big-time American agent. Sure the pacing throughout the first act is practically nonexistent running like a stampede through the jungle but by the time we're palling around under the big top the film finds its footing.
The visual splendor of the film (and man is there a champion size serving of it) the magnificent danger and suspense is enhanced to great effect by the addition of 3D technology – and not once is there a gratuitous beverage or desperate Crocodile Dundee knife waved in our faces to prove its worth. The caveat is that the soundtrack employs a certain infectious Katy Perry ditty at the height of the 3D spectacular so parents get ready to hear that on repeat until the leaves turn yellow.
But visual delights and adventurous zoo animals aside Madagascar 3’s real strength is in its script. With the addition of Noah Baumbach (Greenberg The Squid and the Whale) to the screenwriting team the script is infused with a heightened level of almost sarcastic gravitas – a welcome addition to the characteristically adult-friendly reference-heavy humor of the other Madagascar films. To bring the script to life Paramount enlisted three more than able actors: Vitaly the Siberian tiger (Bryan Cranston) Gia the Leopard (Jessica Chastain) and Stefano the Italian Sealion (Martin Short). With all three actors draped in European accents it might take viewers a minute to realize that the cantankerous tiger is one and the same as the man who plays an Albuquerque drug lord on Breaking Bad but that makes it that much sweeter to hear him utter slant-curse words like “Bolshevik” with his usual gusto.
Between the laughs the terror of McDormand’s Captain Dubois and the breathtaking virtual European tour the Zoosters’ accidental vacation is one worth taking. Madagascar 3 is by no means an insta-classic but it’s a perfectly suited for your Summer-at-the-movies oasis.

In a post-Harry Potter Avatar and Lord of the Rings world the descriptors "sci-fi" and "fantasy" conjure up particular imagery and ideas. The Hunger Games abolishes those expectations rooting its alternate universe in a familiar reality filled with human characters tangible environments and terrifying consequences. Computer graphics are a rarity in writer/director Gary Ross' slow-burn thriller wisely setting aside effects and big action to focus on star Jennifer Lawrence's character's emotional struggle as she embarks on the unthinkable: a 24-person death match on display for the entire nation's viewing pleasure. The final product is a gut-wrenching mature young adult fiction adaptation diffused by occasional meandering but with enough unexpected choices to keep audiences on their toes.
Panem a reconfigured post-apocalyptic America is sectioned off into 12 unique districts and ruled under an iron thumb by the oppressive leaders of The Capitol. To keep the districts producing their specific resources and prevent them from rebelling The Capitol created The Hunger Games an annual competition pitting two 18-or-under "tributes" from each district in a battle to the death. During the ritual tribute "Reaping " teenage Katniss (Lawrence) watches as her 12-year-old sister Primrose is chosen for battle—and quickly jumps to her aid becoming the first District 12 citizen to volunteer for the games. Joined by Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) a meek baker's son and the second tribute Effie the resident designer and Haymitch a former Hunger Games winner-turned-alcoholic-turned-mentor Katniss rides off to The Capitol to train and compete in the 74th Annual Hunger Games.
The greatest triumph of The Hunger Games is Ross' rich realization of the book's many worlds: District 12 is painted as a reminiscent Southern mining town haunting and vibrant; The Capitol is a utopian metropolis obsessed with design and flair; and The Hunger Games battleground is a sprawling forest peppered with Truman Show-esque additions that remind you it's all being controlled by overseers. The small-scale production value adds to the character-first approach and even when the story segues to larger arenas like a tickertape parade in The Capitol's grand Avenue of Tributes hall it's all about Katniss.
For fans the script hits every beat a nearly note-for-note interpretation of author Suzanne Collins' original novel—but those unfamiliar shouldn't worry about missing anything. Ross knows his way around a sharp screenplay (he's the writer of Big Pleasantville and Seabiscuit) and he's comfortable dropping us right into the action. His characters are equally as colorful as Panem Harrelson sticking out as the former tribute enlivened by the chance to coach winners. He's funny he's discreet he's shaded—a quality all the cast members share. As a director Ross employs a distinct often-grating perspective. His shaky cam style emphasizes the reality of the story but in fight scenarios—and even simple establishing shots of District 12's goings-on—the details are lost in motion blur.
But the dread of the scenario is enough to make Hunger Games an engrossing blockbuster. The lead-up to the actual competition is an uncomfortable and biting satire of reality television sports and everything that commands an audience in modern society. Katniss' brooding friend Gale tells her before she departs "What if nobody watched?" speculating that carnage might end if people could turn away. Unfortunately they can't—forcing Katniss and Peeta to become "stars" of the Hunger Games. The duo are pushed to gussy themselves up put on a show and play up their romance for better ratings. Lawrence channels her reserved Academy Award-nominated Winter's Bone character to inhabit Katniss' frustration with the system. She's great at hunting but she doesn't want to kill. She's compassionate and considerate but has no interest in bowing down to the system. She's a leader but she knows full well she's playing The Capitol's game. Even with 23 other contestants vying for the top spot—like American Idol with machetes complete with Ryan Seacrest stand-in Caesar Flickerman (the dazzling Stanley Tucci)—Katniss' greatest hurdle is internal. A brave move for a movie aimed at a young audience.
By the time the actual Games roll around (the movie clocks in at two and a half hours) there's a need to amp up the pace that never comes and The Hunger Games loses footing. Katniss' goal is to avoid the action hiding in trees and caves waiting patiently for the other tributes to off themselves—but the tactic isn't all that thrilling for those watching. Luckily Lawrence Hutcherson and the ensemble of young actors still deliver when they cross paths and particular beats pack all the punch an all-out deathwatch should. PG-13 be damned the film doesn't skimp on the bloodshed even when it comes to killing off children. The Hunger Games bites off a lot for the first film of a franchise and does so bravely and boldly. It may not make it to the end alive but it doesn't go down without a fight.
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Now that the names and partners of Season 14's Dancing With the Stars cast have been revealed, it's time to have a look at the pairings and see who has the best chance of taking home that coveted Mirror Ball trophy. As many previous seasons have proved, a contestant can't rely on sheer skill alone to guarantee audience votes from week to week. Each performer's success is based on three primary factors: who their dance partner is, their career or profession, and their overall popularity in the public eye.
Taking all of that into consideration, we've come up with a grading system of how well each couple will fair throughout the competition. Feel free to tell us if you think we're nuts.
Jack Wagner and Anna Trebunskaya
Partner Factor
None of Anna's partners have ever won the Mirror Ball trophy, though she came in second place with football star Jerry Rice in Season 2 and Olympic Gold Medalist Evan Lysacek in Season 10. She's definitely got the potential to get her dancers to the very end, but she just hasn't been fortunate enough to grab the win...yet. Career Factor
Wagner is mostly known for his roles on popular daytime soap operas. For 12 years he played Andrew Jones on General Hospital and later nabbed a spot on The Bold and the Beautiful as Dominick Marone. You may also recognize him as Dr. Peter Burns from the original Melrose Place. They're all commendable shows to be apart of, however it feels like the shows themselves garner more noteability than his actual name. But then again, look at last year's winner, J.R. Martinez. With the right personality and dance moves, anything's possible. Popularity Factor
Unless you're an avid soap opera fan then you probably don't know much about him other than he used to be Heather Locklear's main squeeze. Besides that, it's difficult to foresee him having an immediate draw with the crowd. Grade: C-
Melissa Gilbert and Maksim Chmerkovskiy Partner Factor
Having Maks as a partner is always a bit of a win/lose situation. On one hand, he's insanely gorgeous, so fans like seeing him stick around for pure aesthetics alone. However, he's also known to have quite the temper, which could affect his relationship with the judges and the fans. Like Anna, he too has never won the competition, but he's come in second place twice: once with Mel B. in Season 5 and again with Kirstie Alley in Season 12. Career Factor Gilbert is best known for her role as Laura Ingalls on the Little House on the Prairie TV Series. And though she's been in a few various projects since then, they can't compare with her initial childhood fame. Popularity Factor
Though her name doesn't often appear among most of the Hollywood legends, fans always love to root for the underdog and a childhood star would certainly qualify. As long as she's not a terrible dancer, there's a good chance the audience could easily fall in love with her. Grade: B+ Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd Partner Factor
Season 13 marked Peta's first run on DWTS. She was paired with L.A. Laker Ron Artest and they were the first couple to be eliminated, so the odds already aren't exactly in her favor.
Career Factor
Sports fans will certainly recognize him as a Receiver for the Green Bay Packers. However, how many cheeseheads will bother to tune in to a dancing competition? He's certainly out of range from his normal fan base, but if he gets his fellow teammates and football enthusiasts to vote in every week, it could keep him on the dance floor for quite some time (just look at Emmitt Smith's DWTS success). Popularity Factor Let's be honest, everyone wants to see a big football player cut loose on the dance floor. And many times, it turns out that they're not that bad. Athletes in general tend to hold on until at the least the halfway point based on skill and pure adorableness. Grade: B- William Levy and Cheryl Burke Partner Factor Cheryl is always a favorite among the female professional dancers. She's a great instructor and has won two Mirror Balls in the past: once on Season 2 with partner Drew Lachey and again on Season 3 with partner Emmitt Smith. Career Factor Given that he's an actor and former model, Levy certainly won't be lacking in the looks department. It's easy to see him charming the pants off of the crowd and the judges (look out Carrie Ann!). However, he's known best for his appearance in Jennifer Lopez' "I'm Into You" video, so that doesn't exactly guarantee him a wide fan base coming into the competition. Popularity Factor Well, he'll have JLo's vote and that's got to count for something. In truth, he doesn't have much popularity thus far, but if he's personable enough during interviews and on the dance floor, the ladies are sure to swoon. And if the ladies swoon, the votes are sure to follow. Grade: C+
Sherri Sheperd and Val Chermkovskiy Partner Factor
Though Val has appeared on DWTS several times to either perform or help out his brother Maks, he made his first professional dancer debut with George Clooney's ex, Elisabetta Canalis on Season 13. However they only made it into the second week before being eliminated, so his track record could use a little improvement. But to be fair, that was only his first attempt. Career Factor Sheperd is probably one of the most well known stars on the competition thanks to her hosting job on The View. Additionally, she plays Tracy Jordan's wife on 30 Rock, which automatically gives her a huge fan base from two different show groups. Popularity Factor She will undoubtedly garner a lot of votes at the beginning because everyone knows who she is. She's likable, she's funny, and all around a pretty great entertainer, so the crowd will eat up whatever she gives us. In the later weeks, when the competition becomes more fierce, she'll have to prove herself a little more. But at the beginning, she'll definitely be safe. Grade: B+
Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas Partner Factor Mark is another beloved dance pro, which means fans (especially the ladies) will want to keep him around as long as possible. So far, he's reached the Mirror Ball trophy twice: once with figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi in Season 6 and again with gymnast Shawn Johnson in Season 8. He's definitely due for another win. Career Factor Jenkins is a professional Opera singer, so it's hard to know how this could help or hinder her in the competition. Perhaps if she performed during one of the results shows her voice could win everyone over. Her success could go either way based on how personable she becomes. Popularity Factor She hasn't received an overwhelming amount of fame in her career thus far, but this show could be just what she needs to kick it up a notch and really make a name for herself among pop culture addicts. She's one to definitely keep an eye on. Grade: C
Gavin Degraw and Karina Smirnoff Partner Factor Karina won her first ever Mirror Ball trophy during Season 13 with her dance partner J.R. Martinez. She's always been a constant presence on the show and certainly knows her dance moves. Any partner she is paired with is always in good hands. Career Factor Degraw is sure to be the favorite to win, at the least at the beginning. He's the biggest star on the show, which is sure to earn him some extra votes above the rest. Plus, everyone loves a good, current singer whose recent hit "Not Over You" has become a success on the Billboard Hot 100, much like his other hit song "I Don't Wanna Be," which was the popular theme song to One Tree Hill. Popularity Factor
This will be the biggest advantage in his corner given that he's not only a relevant star, but he's extremely well liked. Even if voters aren't fans of his music, everyone knows who he is, so unless he's an outright terrible dancer with two left feet, there's no question he'll go far in this competition. He might even win it. Grade: A
Martina Navratilova and Tony Dovolani Partner Factor Poor Tony has had a lot of bad luck over the years between having to deal with the likes of Kate Gosselin and Wendy Williams. And though he's come close a few times, he's never won the Mirror Ball trophy. Luck never seems to be on his side. Career Factor Given that she's a major tennis legend, Navratilova certainly has an athletic background on her side. However, she's now 55 years old, which could serve as a hindrance in such a grueling dance competition. If she proves to be as agile as ever, then it shouldn't be a problem. Popularity Factor Tennis fans will definitely be pleased. Between Tony's luck and her lack of a significant fan base, this could prove to be a huge setback in her chances of winning. Grade: D
Roshon Fegan and Chelsea Hightower Partner Factor Though she's undeniably adorable, the closest Chelsea's gotten to winning the Mirror Ball trophy is fourth place, which is not exactly an impressive record to go on. However, that could have little to do with her actual dancing instruction and everything to do with the partners she's been placed with. Career Factor Roshon is a 20-year-old Disney Channel Star. He's best known for his role as Sander Loyer in the Disney Channel movie franchise Camp Rock and for his role as Ty Blue on the Disney Channel original series Shake It Up! Popularity Factor Unless you're an avid Disney Channel viewer, you probably have no idea who this guy is, though he -- like his dance partner -- has a certain cuteness about him, which could potentially work in his favor. Let's hope he knows how to charm the cameras, otherwise we may not be seeing much of this guy. Grade: D+
Maria Menounos and Derek Hough Partner Factor Derek Hough is by far the best professional dancer of the bunch. He's won the competition numerous times and always creates outstanding performances that are suitable to both him and whoever is lucky enough to be his partner. If you're partnered with this guy, then you're in it for the long haul. Career Factor When you're am engaging TV Host like Menounos, you're bound to receive a wide variety of votes. If your face is on TV all the time, people are going to notice, especially if you're likable. Menounos should have no trouble getting the votes she needs to stay in the competition, at least at the beginning. Popularity Factor Between her TV fan base and luck (for nabbing Derek as a partner), there's a huge possibility she could go on to win the Mirror Ball trophy. As long as she asks Derek to take his shirt off for a few dance numbers, she'll be golden. And it seems they make a great pair. Grade: A+
Jaleel White and Kym Johnson Partner Factor Like Derek, Kym has also won the Mirror Ball several times since the show's inception and has proved to be a talented and kind dance instructor to each partner she's given. Celebrity Factor It almost goes without saying, but White is best known for playing geeky yet lovable Steve Urkel on classic show, Family Matters. This will definitely prove helpful in regards to gaining massive amounts of votes. Popularity Factor
Hello, it's Steve Urkel! Of course America is going to want him to stay on. Everyone's nostalgic for their favorite geek in glasses no matter if he's a good dancer or not. Plus, who doesn't want to see this? Grade: A
Gladys Knight and Tristan MacManus Partner Factor Season 13 was Tristan's first year competing as a professional dancer, where he came in a respectable fifth place with former prosecutor Nancy Grace. Not too bad for his first time out, although his lack of experience among the other dance veterans could potentially hurt his chances of winning. Career Factor Knight is a well known music legend, which undoubtedly will be a huge advantage on this show where votes are the golden ticket to success. As far as careers go, this woman already has them all beat. Popularity Factor Knight's fan base will be massive; there's absolutely no doubt about that. However, her age (67) could prove to be a setback, though age isn't always necessarily a factor on this competition. She could certainly come out and wow us with incredible dance moves, proving she's just as great of a dancer as she is a singer. Grade: B